Plastic waste management: Russian and foreign experience

Abstract

The article is devoted to the issues of plastic waste disposal. Currently, the processing of plastic waste is an important part of the economies of many countries, contributing to the creation of jobs, high wages for workers in this industry and tax revenues to the state budget. Plastic is a product that has become firmly embedded in our modern way of life. Its remarkable properties: durability, low weight, good barrier properties combined with ease of processing make plastic a sustainable alternative to other materials — glass, metals and paper, the production, use and management of which can be more resource-intensive. At the same time, it is precisely because of its durability that plastic waste causes devastating damage to the environment. In 2017, in 28 EU countries, Norway and Switzerland, the total demand for plastic amounted to about 51 million tons, divided between the packaging sector (39.7 %), the construction sector (19.8 %), the automotive sector (10.1 %), the electrical and electronics sector (6.2 %), households, leisure and sports sector (4.1 %), the agricultural sector (3.4 %) and other sectors (16.7 %). The article discusses the system of plastic waste management in the world and in our country. The purpose of the article is to study the current state of the plastic waste management system and develop recommendations based on foreign experience. Research methodology: the use of comparative and comparative analyses. Research method: financial and economic analysis. The article shows that the recycling of plastic waste is currently a high-margin business that can attract private investment in solving this urgent problem. The construction of a waste recycling system aimed at reducing the impact of spent materials on the environment throughout their life cycle has become one of the most important tasks for the Governments of developed countries. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a special program of action for Sustainable Materials Management (Sustainable Materials Management) within which you can get all the necessary data, tools and technical assistance on resource conservation, recycling and use of resources to solve problems of recovery, reduction of production and disposal of waste. The article gives an assessment of the economic indicators of the plastic waste recycling project, provides a financial and economic model of the project. The analysis of foreign experience made it possible to understand the causes of problems and develop recommendations. This article is part of the author's research in the field of choosing optimal strategies for managing the disposal of plastic waste, currently the analysis, collection and layout of materials for the publication of the monograph is being carried out